Things Seen and Unseen
by Akuni-A
Summary: Ichigo’s classmates help open his eyes. [Pairings: implied IchigoxOrihime and RenjixRukia, debated IshidaxTatsuki]


**Title:** Things Seen and Unseen  
**Author:** Akuni  
**Universe:** Bleach  
**Genre:** Romance, Humour, Crackish  
**Rating:** PG  
**Pairing:** implied Ichigo/Orihime and Renji/Rukia; debated Ishida/Tatsuki (wait, what?)  
**Spoilers:** Nothing major, but knowing the start of the Arrancar arc establishes the setting  
**Word Count:** 1400

**Summary:** Ichigo's classmates help open his eyes.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach, I'm just borrowing it for a while.  
**Distribution:** Also posted on my LJ. Please ask if you want to share it. :)

**Dedication:** Written for my buddy who inspired me to write very first Bleach fic ever, for his birthday. :) Which also happens to be my birthday! Whee! Sorry this didn't turn out quite how you wanted – I'll make it up to you with that other fic I've been promising for so long. I really will write it!

**A/N:** Fluff. Drivel. Cheese. Fun. :) (Read: See, I can write something other than homoerotica!)

* * *

**Things Seen and Unseen**

"That's unexpected." Rukia took a sip of her juice box as she watched two of their classmates.

"What is?"

"The Quincy and that girl," Renji clarified. Ichigo turned to see Ishida Uryuu and Arisawa Tatsuki sitting on the ledge next to the window outside the school. It looked like they were having a rather intense discussion – maybe even an argument.

"That's not unexpected," Ichigo snorted. "Ishida annoys everyone, and Tatsuki isn't the kind of girl to just walk away when someone provokes her." He grinned. "I almost feel sorry for him. Any minute now she's gonna deck him for whatever dumbass thing he said."

Renji gave him a look that said "How stupid are you?" and Rukia just shook her head. "What?" Ichigo demanded, temper rising.

"It's obvious, really," Rukia said smugly. "I'm not surprised you can't see it, though, you're obviously not on Ishida's level in this area."

"Hey!" Ichigo scowled, putting down his lunch. "I'm better'n Ishida at _everything._"

"That's right!" The last member of the group spoke up. "Except Ishida-kun's grades are better, though, aren't they Kurosaki-kun? And he does seem to be ahead of you here, too. And—"

"Not you too, Inoue!" Ichigo groaned. "Ok what the hell are you all talking about?"

Renji laughed. "Look at them, moron!" He grabbed Ichigo's head and turned it around so he was staring at his classmates.

"Quit that, what—" Ichigo attempted to bite the fingers on his cheek, but Renji just squeezed tighter and held him in place. An all-out brawl was about to start when Orihime's voice distracted Ichigo from his intention to pummel Renji into the dirt.

"You don't see it, Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime clasped her hands together and leaned her chin on them. "Just look." Her eyes shone as she stared at her friends.

Ichigo sighed. "Fine." He pried Renji's fingers off his face and looked.

Ishida was gesturing with both hands as he spoke, his expression intense. Tatsuki looked bored as she ran a hand through her short hair, eyes fixed on Ishida's unsmiling face. Every now and then she'd cut him off with a short comment. Ishida would pause briefly and push his glasses up his nose again before resuming the conversation.

"Do you see it now, Ichigo?" Rukia asked.

"I see a Quincy about to get his nose popped if he doesn't shut up and leave her alone."

Rukia sighed, and Renji snickered. Orihime touched his shoulder gently. "Tatsuki-chan isn't comfortable around many people, haven't you noticed, Kurosaki-kun?"

Ichigo looked at her thoughtfully as he thought about it. Orihime was smiling at him encouragingly. He rubbed the back of his neck and thought hard. "Uh…"

"Forget it, Inoue, he's still just a kid, even if he does have a big sword." Renji's overly large hand landed on his shoulder.

"Shut the hell up!" Ichigo shrugged the hand away. "Get offa me, asshole!" Renji just laughed again.

"Oh look Inoue, she's just done it again." Rukia tugged her friend's sleeve and pointed.

"I saw, I saw!" Orihime nodded. "I'm so happy for Tatsuki-chan!" Ichigo was amazed to see _tears_ forming in her eyes.

Suspicion finally filtered through Ichigo's mind. "Wait, are you saying…" He snapped his head back around to stare hard at the pair under discussion. Nothing had changed. Ichigo looked at Orihime again, and she smiled brightly, still nodding.

"Finally, he gets it!" Renji snorted. "Yeah, Ichigo, that's what they're talkin' 'bout."

"No way," Ichigo disagreed. "Not in this lifetime. Ishida and Tatsuki? You're all delusional!"

Rukia shook her head. "I've been reading a lot of shoujo manga, Ichigo, and I'm pretty sure this is how it works." She pointed again. "Look! Every time she cuts him off, he pushes up his glasses!"

"An' she ain't looked away from his face even once this whole time," Renji put in.

Orihime nodded again, clearly in agreement. "And when Ishida-kun pauses to take a breath, Tatsuki-chan touches her hair."

Ichigo looked at her incredulously, and absently scrubbed a hand through his own short hair. "Impossible," he stated flatly. He tried not to scowl. "There's _no_ way someone like _Ishida_ would get a girl as cool as Tatsuki."

Orihime's smile faltered just a bit. "I… I don't think there's anything wrong with Ishida-kun and Tatsuki-chan liking each other." She stood abruptly. "Oh, is that the time? Ha ha ha, I have to go get ready for class, bye!" She darted off back toward the school.

"I-Inoue…" Ichigo stared after her, confused. A sharp whack on the back of his head pulled his eyes off Orihime's departing figure. "What the hell, Rukia?"

She raised her small hand again threateningly. "Idiot! That was cruel!" She leaped off the wall and raced after her friend.

"I didn't think ya really were that stupid, Ichigo, but now I ain't so sure." Renji gave him one last incredulous look before following Rukia.

Ichigo watched Ishida and Tatsuki, trying to see what his other friends saw as plain as day, and figure out what he'd said that was so terrible. He thought back on the conversation. _But all they do is argue! Life isn't like a shoujo manga, but Rukia doesn't know that, and Renji can't even figure out his own love life._

He frowned as something caught his attention. _There, she just interrupted him again, and he pushed his glasses up._ Ichigo kept watching. _And there, she's just touched her hair again. But that doesn't mean anything, people touch their hair all the time._

But he was getting a little less certain as the pattern played itself out over several times. _I guess… Inoue would know, wouldn't she?_ Ichigo rubbed his neck, wondering if she might not be right after a—

Ichigo's hand froze on his neck. Slowly he pulled it away, and looked at it like he'd never seen it before. _Oh…_ His ears suddenly felt very hot.

§

Rukia poked her head into the girls' bathroom. Orihime was leaning against the sink, staring at the ceiling. She moved back quickly before she was seen.

"She's in there," she whispered to Renji. He nodded and cleared his throat.

"Yo, Rukia!" he said in a too-loud voice.

"Hey, Renji!" she overacted. "I'm looking for Inoue, have you seen her?"

"Nope, sorry. Why are ya lookin' for her?" Renji grinned around the ridiculous dialogue.

"I wanted to see if she was all right. Ichigo's such a bonehead sometimes."

"No kiddin'! The worst part is, he don't even know he does it himself!" Renji's laugh was exaggerated. Rukia joined in with a giggle of her own.

"Well he's young yet," Rukia said. "He'll figure out soon enough that he acts that way around Inoue for the same reason that Ishida acts that way around Arisawa."

"I hope so. It'd be a shame if he missed out. That Inoue's a keeper, if ya ask me!" Renji's taunting smirk took in his whole face.

Rukia glared. "Yeah well keep yer eyes an' hands ta yerself," she snapped. "She's outta yer league!" She slipped back into their rough childhood dialect in an instant.

"Oh I got my eyes right where they belong." Renji stepped in close and looked down at her squarely. "I know exactly what _my_ behaviour means."

Then he was striding down the hall whistling tunelessly, both hands in his pockets.

Rukia drew a deep breath to steady her suddenly racing pulse. "Hey Renji, wait…" She followed after, jogging to catch up to him, their original mission temporarily forgotten.

§

Orihime leaned against the bathroom sinks, heart pounding. A soft smile spread across her face, and she had to take a breath before leaving the washroom and heading to the classroom.

Ichigo was standing right outside the classroom door. "Er, hi, Inoue." His hand moved up toward his head, but snapped back down and dove into his pocket. "Sorry 'bout earlier. It took me a while, but I got there in the end."

She waved her hands. "No no, it's ok," she laughed nervously. "It's not imp—"

"Can I walk you home after school?" Her heart gave a queer thump as Ichigo's warm brown eyes looked straight into hers.

"Ok." Orihime smiled. Her stomach fluttered and turned over when Ichigo actually smiled back.

END


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